BSO — 2026/04/25

 This evening the BSO gives us five pieces by Russian coposers and one by Mozart. Here's their description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-08/boreyko-conducts-scriabin-rimsky-korsakov-and-prokofiev-with-kissin

Saturday, April 25, 2026
8:00 PM

In his first appearance with the BSO since 2015, star pianist Evgeny Kissin performs two contrasting concertos: Mozart’s charming and poignant Concerto No. 12, and Scriabin’s rhapsodic Piano Concerto. Andrey Boreyko leads this sparkling, Russian-leaning program, opening with Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliantly colorful Russian Easter Overture and featuring three atmospheric tone poems by Anatoly Liadov from the early 20th century.

Andrey Boreyko, conductor
Evgeny Kissin, piano

Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Russian Easter Festival Overture
W. A. MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414 
Anatoly LIADOV Baba Yaga
LIADOV The Enchanted Lake
LIADOV Kikimora
Alexander SCRIABIN Piano Concerto

In a conversation with CRB's Brian McCreath, conductor Andrey Boreyko reveals the connections between the arrangement of the musicians of the orchestra and music from the Russian tradition, as well as the unique qualities of Scriabin's Piano Concerto and Evgeny Kissin's interpretation of it. To listen, use the player above, and read the transcript below.

Learn more about the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 season on their site.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity):

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Andrey Boreyko, 

We also have the summary on the BSO's own performance detail page: https://www.bso.org/events/apr-23-25-rimsky-korsa-scriab?performance=2026-04-25-20:00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andrey Boreyko, conductor Evgeny Kissin, piano RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Russian Easter Overture  MOZART Piano Concerto No. 12 in A, K.414       intermissionLIADOV Baba Yaga  LIADOV The Enchanted Lake  LIADOV Kikimora  SCRIABIN Piano Concerto  

This exciting and unusual

 program features acclaimed soloist Evgeny Kissin performing two strongly contrasting concertos. Composed to appeal to audiences in Mozart’s new home of Vienna, the Concerto No. 12 is by turns charming and poignant, its second movement a touching tribute to his late friend Johann Christian Bach. The Russian composer Alexander Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, composed more than 100 years later, is rhapsodic and Romantic. The BSO has only played Scriabin’s concerto on two prior occasions, most recently in 2001. Andrey Boreyko leads this sparkling, Russian-leaning program, opening with Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliantly colorful Russian Easter Overture and featuring three atmospheric tone poems by Anatoli Liadov from the early 20th century.

As usual, performer bios and program notes are avsilsble when you go to the BSO page and click on the arrows.

So far there is no review in the Globe, bt the Intelligencer has a favorable one. https://classical-scene.com/2026/04/25/bso-boreyko-kissin/#comment-49107

This should be worth hearing.

B BSO — 2026/04/18

 This evening we get two second-tier staples sandwiching a sort of world premiere. Here's WCRB's synopsis: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-08/malkki-the-jussens-and-a-bso-world-premiere

Saturday, April 18, 2026
8:00 PM

Dutch duo-pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen perform a BSO-commissioned piece written for them by American composer and Grawemeyer Award-winner Andrew Norman. Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki also leads the BSO in Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and Ravel’s beloved Mother Goose suite.

Susanna Mälkki, conductor
Lucas and Arthur Jussen, pianos

Maurice RAVEL Mother Goose Suite
Andrew NORMAN Split, for two pianos and orchestra (world premiere; BSO co-commission)
Sergei RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

Learn more about the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 season on their site.

In a preview of the program, Susanna Mälkki describes the character and challenge of Andrew Norman's Split, why Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances is one of her favorite pieces, and what she looks for in building effective artistic relationships with orchestras.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT (lightly edited for clarity):

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Susanna Mälkki, who's back with the Boston Symp

It turns out Split was originally composed in a version for one piano over ten years ago. The composer has reworked itinto the two piano version which the BSO is premiering this week.

More information, including performer bios and program notes, are available at the BSO performance detail page, where we see the following:

Boston Symphony Orchestra Susanna Mälkki, conductor Lucas and Arthur Jussen, Pianos RAVEL Mother Goose Suite  Andrew NORMAN Split, for two pianos and orchestra (world premiere; BSO co-commission)       intermissionRACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances  

Popular Dutch duo-pianists Lucas and Arthur Jussen return to Symphony Hall for a BSO-commissioned world premiere. This music was written especially for them by American composer Andrew Norman, winner of the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for his orchestral work Play. Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite brings the composer’s mastery of orchestral color to his fairy-tale suite, originally written for piano, four-hands. Closing the program is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s tour-de-force for orchestra, by turns powerfully energetic and meltingly lyrical: his Symphonic Dances, the composer’s final work.

So far I don't see any reviews in either the Globe or the Intelligencer.

I was at the Friday afternoon performance. The Ravel was fine but unexciting. The Jussen brothers were excellent. Unfortunately the music they and the orchestra had to play was mostly loud and unappealing (to me anyway). The brothers would have something nice and then the orchestra would crash in. A musician might see something worthwhile or admire the composer's technique, but it was lost on me. Maybe I'll like it better over the radio this evening. The Jussens certainly deserved the enthusiastic applause they got. I paid closer attention to the Stravinsky than I do when it's being played as part of the regular radio programming and functions nore as background music. So I noticed parts (mostly softer ones) which usually escape my attention. It's a pretty good piece if not up to the level of the greatest compositions of all time.

Bottom line: it's worth listeningg to the concert, especially if the Jussens give us an encore.

B BSO/Classical New England — 2026/04/11

 This evening WCRB gives us the concert which was performed two weeks ago. Here's their description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-04-07/american-icons-adams-nixon-in-china-and-dvoraks-new-world

Saturday, April 11, 2026
8:00 PM

Opera luminaries Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming perform three scenes from John Adams’ groundbreaking Nixon in China with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Inspired by Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China, Nixon in China is considered one of the most consequential operas in American history. After, Andris Nelsons leads the Boston Symphony in Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony, which was composed when Dvořák's was living in the U.S. Bursting with sweeping melodies, Dvořák's Ninth Symphony blends Bohemian soul with the spirit of America.

John ADAMS Three Scenes from Nixon in China     
Antonín DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World  

This concert was recorded on March 28, 2026 at Symphony Hall.

The BSO performance detail page puts it like this: https://www.bso.org/events/mar-26-28-adams-dvorak?performance=2026-03-28-20:00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Renée Fleming, soprano (Pat Nixon) Thomas Hampson, baritone (Richard Nixon) Tanglewood Festival Chorus Lisa Wong, guest choral conductorJohn ADAMS Three Scenes from Nixon in China*       intermissionDVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World  

*Performed with English supertitles

John Adams’ Nixon in China redefined opera by taking as its subject matter recent world events. Opera luminaries Thomas Hampson and Renée Fleming bring excerpts from this groundbreaking work to the Symphony Hall stage. Nixon in China established Adams as the most significant opera composer of the past 50 years. Composed while the Czech Antonín Dvořák was living in the U.S., the New World Symphonybursts with sweeping melodies, blending Bohemian soul with the spirit of America and incorporating the sounds and songs of both worlds into the iconic and oft-quoted work we know today.

The program notes are still available and may be interesting.

There is a nice review https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/28/bso-icons/ in the Intelligencer. The Globe review https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/28/arts/andris-nelsons-bso-dvorak-ovations/?event=event12 is more a news story, and is tepid when it comes to the performances.

I saw a performance of Nixon in China once. One line that has stuck with me is when the Nixons are in their hotel room reminiscing about their experience during WWII, and he says, "The Pacific Theater was nothing to write home about."

I think the show should be worth listening to.

BSO/Classical New England — 2026/03/29

 For whatever reason, WCRB is giving us an "encore broadcast" instead of tonight's concert from Symphony Hall. Here's their blurb: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2024-10-31/revolucion-diamantina-with-the-crossing-giancarlo-guerrero-alban-gerhardt

WCRB

Classical Music on WCRB

JS Bach: Complete Keyboard ConcAll StreamsSaturday, March 28, 2026

8:00 PM

In an encore broadcast, hear acclaimed Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz's ballet score Revolución diamantina, exploring the powerful, feminist “Glitter Revolution” campaign in Mexico that highlighted the epidemic of violence against women. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wonderfully depicts love’s passion and an infernal whirlwind in his tone poem Francesca da Rimini, and Alban Gerhardt is soloist in the composer’s charming Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Alban Gerhardt, cello
The Crossing 
 Donald Nally, Artistic Director

Gabriela ORTIZ Revolución diamantina
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, for cello and orchestra
TCHAIKOVSKY Francesca da Rimini

This concert was originally broadcast on March 1, 2025.

In a preview of this concert, conductor Giancarlo Guerrero describes Gabriela Ortiz's Revolución diamantina, how Tchaikovksy's music relates to it, and what he's looking forward to in his new position as Music Director of the Sarasota Orchestra next season. Listen with the player above, and read the transcript below.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Brian McCreath I'm Brian McCreath at Symphony Hall with Giancarlo Guerrero, who's back

 

Speculation is that Renee Fleming's cpntract doesn't allow her performance to be broadcast. In any event, it's not being broadcast. I posted about the concert we'll be getting last year, so you can "Read all about it.

Enjoy.

BSO — 2026/03/21

 FYI https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/06/andris-nelsons-to-retire/#comment-48715

This evening WCRB broadcasts a concert of music by Schumann and Tchaikovsky. Here's their description: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2026-01-08/the-romance-of-schumann-with-yunchan-lim-and-the-bso

Saturday, March 21, 2026
8:00 PM

In a program that embodies the heightened emotions of the Romantic spirit, 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winner Yunchan Lim returns to Symphony Hall for Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, followed by Tchaikovsky’s musical interpretation of a Lord Byron drama, the “Manfred” Symphony.

Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yunchan Lim, piano

Robert SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Manfred

The BSO's performance detail page tells us more, and if you go to the page itself and click on the arrows, you can access program notes and performer bios. https://www.bso.org/events/mar-19-22-schumann-tchaikovsk?performance=2026-03-21-20:00

Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, conductor Yunchan Lim, piano SCHUMANN Piano Concerto       intermissionTCHAIKOVSKY Manfred  

Vaulted to worldwide prominence as the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yunchan Lim returns to Symphony Hall for Robert Schumann’s lyrical, introspective Piano Concerto, written for his wife Clara, one of the most admired pianists of the 19th century. Inspired throughout his life by literary sources, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote his Manfred — actually a four-movement symphony — based on Lord Byron’s Gothic verse play of the same name about a nihilistic nobleman wandering the Alps in search of meaning.

The Globe has a review/news story https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/20/arts/bso-andris-nelsons-heros-welcome-symphony-hall/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results which praises the performance. There is also an admiring review in the Intelligencer https://classical-scene.com/2026/03/20/champions-cross-symphony-hall/ which does not ignore the context.

Even without the added drama, this seems to be a concert well worth listening to.